New Jersey's largest craft brewery Flying Fish Brewing Company (1940 Olney
Avenue, 856-489-0061), has announced the latest entry in its "Exit Series"
of big-bottle beers honoring their home state of New Jersey, Exit 6
Wallonian Rye Belgian-Style Ale. A collaboration brew, Head Brewer Casey
Hughes created Exit 6 with brewers Ric Hoffman of Stewart's Brewing Company
in Bear, DE and Gordon Grubb of Nodding Head Brewery in Philadelphia, PA to
celebrate Philly Beer Week 2010.
"Exit 6 is named in honor of the area's first settlers, Dutch Walloons (now
Belgians), who landed, built a fort - and then promptly constructed a
tavern. They were definitely our kind of people!" says owner and founder
Gene Muller.
Exit 6 Wallonian Rye
Belgian-Style Ale is named for the exit that "puts the green in Garden
State," a part of Burlington County that was settled in 1624. The
surrounding farmland has long been an agricultural anchor, and the locally
grown rye used in the beer comes directly from an area farm. The beer itself
is a deceptively simple recipe: pale malt augmented by 20 percent rye, then
fermented with Belgian yeast, giving it a bright saffron color and spicy
character. The beer's lemony citrus notes come from the addition of English
East Kent Goldings, Slovenian Styrian Goldings and unusual Japanese Sorachi
Ace hops.
"We made Exit 6 with authentic New Jersey rye, as a tribute to the region's
rich agricultural heritage," says Hughes. "Since all three brewers are from
the tri-state area, we thought using a local ingredient as a flavor accent
would tie it to us as local brewers and show our collaborative spirit as we
launch the brew during Philly Beer Week on June 5," says Hughes.
On Saturday, June 5 at 3 pm, brewers Hughes, Grubb and Hoffman will hold the
Exit 6 launch event at Nodding Head, 1516 Sansom Street, 2nd floor. The
event is free to attend and will be pay-as-you-go for beer.
Established in 1995, Stewart's is New Castle County's first brewpub. Their
beers have earned 11 medals from the Great American Beer Festival (GABF) and
World Beer Championships (WBC), and represent some of the finest
hand-crafted ales and lagers produced in Delaware. Nodding Head is a
similarly successful brewery and restaurant located in downtown
Philadelphia. Their beers have earned 13 medals from the GABF and WBC, and
has been named "Best Brewpub" in Philadelphia magazine.
Flying Fish's Exit Series will continue with three or four beers a year to
eventually encompass all turnpike exits. Other entries have included: Exit
16 Wild Rice Double IPA; Exit 11 Hoppy American Wheat and Exit 1 Bayshore
Oyster Stout. Recently, in response to the overwhelming popularity of series
starter Exit 4 American Trippel, the brewery re-released it in six-packs.
The Exit 4 is a GABF gold medal winner, and was named "Best Belgo-Style Beer
in America" in 2009 by Men's Journal magazine.
Flying Fish was the world's first 'virtual' microbrewery, establishing an
Internet presence as early as 1995. That presence helped to generate press
interest and woo investors to the fledgling brewery, which would not open
for business until late 1996. Today, Muller and his team oversee five
full-time styles, as well as a variety of seasonal beers. Their brews have
been featured at the Great British Beer Festival, Oregon Brewers Festival
and Canada's Biere de Mondial Festival. They have won medals at the GABF,
WBC and the Real Ale Festival, and have two beers featured in the recently
released book 1001 Beers to Try Before You Die. Flying Fish was also named
"Local Hero: Beverage Artisan of 2009" by Edible Jersey magazine.
For more information about Exit 6 or any of Flying Fish's beers, please
visit them online at www.flyingfish.com and www.exitseries.com, or call
(856) 489-0061.